# Am wondering if my coworker will still be alive by summer.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-wondering-if-my-coworker-will-still-be-alive-by-summer/532965>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 19, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-wondering-if-my-coworker-will-still-be-alive-by-summer/532965 "2010-03-19T01:06:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-wondering-if-my-coworker-will-still-be-alive-by-summer/532965/41 "2014-02-04T08:32:16Z")

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Sorry to hear, but at least you had plenty of time to say your goodbyes and prepare for it. Hopefully he did not suffer too horribly for too long.

I am very fortunate that my very alcoholic father decided after the divorce of my mother and a few other problems to quit drinking for good. I wish he could drink moderately and enjoy alcohol on occasion, but some people just can’t do that, and he has been sober for nearly a decade now.

I am sorry your friend/coworker couldn’t beat the addiction in time.

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**Author:** ![Inna\_Minnit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Inna\_Minnit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inna_Minnit)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-wondering-if-my-coworker-will-still-be-alive-by-summer/532965/42 "2014-02-04T09:41:11Z")

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> [@wierdaaron](#):
>
> Yellow skin = jaundice = liver failure.

You can have jaundice without liver failure. The ascites is more an indication of liver failure. Which is not a fun way to go.

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**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-wondering-if-my-coworker-will-still-be-alive-by-summer/532965/43 "2014-02-05T00:13:59Z")

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> [@LibrarySpy](#):
>
> Can you tell us more? Did he have a period of remission?

We had to let him go shortly after I created this thread. He wasn’t showing up for work on a regular basis. And when he _was_ here, he would skip out at noon to go and drink at the American Legion.

After we let him go, a few of my coworkers kept in touch with him. He continued to drink up until about 6 months ago.

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**Author:** ![Zago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zago)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-wondering-if-my-coworker-will-still-be-alive-by-summer/532965/44 "2014-02-05T01:40:41Z")

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> [@Crafter\_Man](#):
>
> We had to let him go shortly after I created this thread. He wasn’t showing up for work on a regular basis. And when he _was_ here, he would skip out at noon to go and drink at the American Legion.
> 
> After we let him go, a few of my coworkers kept in touch with him. He continued to drink up until about 6 months ago.

That is truly sad. One of my mentors is in a similar situation and it is soul crushing to watch. I hope he had the opportunity to at least apply for either short term disability benefits when he was let go. He obviously had enough demons to battle without having to manage his bills.

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